


The Hisarna Process

by Puggednose



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, pricefield
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-08
Updated: 2018-11-08
Packaged: 2019-08-20 08:01:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16552037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Puggednose/pseuds/Puggednose
Summary: "Max, it's time." "Not anymore." Max has made her choice, and there is no going back. Follow Max and Chloe on their way out of Arcadia Bay and beyond as they try to process what happened and take their next steps.





	1. Chapter 1

"Max, I’ll always be with you."

"Forever."

As they stood watching the storm bearing down on Arcadia Bay, Chloe reached out and took Max's hand. They stood stoically for a moment, witnessing the cost of their choice. Max’s heart grew heavy as the storm took its toll. When she could no longer watch, she turned away and rested her head on Chloe's shoulder. 

Chloe looked ahead, never letting go of Max. She needed to see the sacrifice Max had made for her. She should feel the pain, never look away, and see the devastation that bought her life. It seemed right, somehow. 

But Max pulled her from her thoughts.

"Chloe... please, don't watch."

Chloe's cold need to serve her penance melted away under the warmth of her feelings for Max. She turned to face her.

"Okay. I won't. Think we'd we be safe in the shed?"

Max looked over Chloe’s shoulder. The top of the lighthouse and the path to it were destroyed, as they had been in her vision. Did it happen while she was in her nightmare? She hoped she had warned Chloe about it before coming back from Warren's photo. She lifted her head to look farther to the right, toward the shed.

"I think so."

It was getting harder to hear each other over the wind, so they braced against the rain, holding each other for support as they stepped through the mud and trudged toward the door. A fallen tree blocked their path. Chloe climbed over it first, then offered Max a hand to be sure she wouldn't slip.

Chloe reached out to the door and pulled the handle, swinging it open easily, then closing it behind them. Max thought the door would have looked more at home at the entrance to someone’s closet, rather than a concrete-block building, but this was never meant to be a bunker.

The familiar smell of dust and age joined the odors of wet earth and sea air wafting in through the slits in the door. It was dark; the sun still low and the sky being darkened by the storm. Flashes of lightning shone through windows along the ceiling. Chloe pulled out her phone to activate the light.

"Let's see what booty these fuckers left for us to plunder! No one works here anymore. Even Arcadia Bay had to get their shit together and make the lighthouse automatic eventually."

Max thought that was a little sad. The whole world wanted to go digital. She turned on her light, too. On the right side of the far wall, a large, box-shaped device that must be some kind of radio equipment sat on a table, wires running up the wall to the roof. It looked older than her. At least some things were still analog.

To their right, a workbench held a few tools, though it seemed too large for what was there. A small crate nearby was empty. Chloe knew she'd found what she had been looking for when she spotted a cot in the far left corner, and Max followed her to it, sitting beside her with their backs against the wall. They turned their lights off, and Max noticed she had text messages.

"Shit. I guess people are looking for us."

"Looking for you, anyway. When the weather got bad, I texted mom that we were coming here. Lucky for me, no one else gives a shit."

Joyce.

"Chloe... I have to tell you something. To get to Warren's photo, I had to go to the diner during the storm. He was there with your mom, helping look after everybody. Frank was there, too, with Pompidou."

"That's good. Frank's an asshole and he tries to be scary, and I still don't know what he was doing with Rachel's bracelet, but he won't let anything happen to mom. When shit's gotten real, he's had my back. Between him and Warren, I think we've got the two white knights of Arcadia Bay at the Two Whales... but that's not what you were going to tell me, is it?"

Max looked down and shook her head.

"Max, what happened to my mom? Where is she?"

Tears had begun to form in Max's eyes.

"I'm sorry, Chloe. I'm so, so sorry. On my way to the diner, there was an explosion. A big one; inside. Some kind of fuel spill ignited and got to the gas line or something. I used my power and stopped it from happening."

There was panic in Chloe's voice.

"But that doesn't have to mean anything, right? This time shit, you change one little thing and anything can happen, right? It's chaos theory. The butterfly effect."

Max searched Chloe's face, as though she would find there what to say. She realized Chloe wasn't asking her as Max Caulfield, Time Warrior, but as her best friend. She didn't need an expert time traveler's analysis, only a reason to hope.

"I don't know, Chloe. In that timeline, I called Warren before heading over there. Maybe not calling him changed something."

Chloe knew Max didn't believe it any more than she did.

"You knew. You knew she would die."

It was a realization, but to Max it felt like an accusation.

"Of course I knew! I always know! Every fucking day I see every possibility, and I can never forget any of it! I killed both your parents! Is that what you want me to say? I saved your dad, then I killed you, and then I killed him, then I saved your mom, and then I killed her, too. And do you want to know how many times you died on that fucking railroad track? How many times your body just-"

Chloe wrapped her arms around Max.

"Please Max, stop! I don't blame you for any of it! I didn't mean it like that." 

Max's response was to put her arms around Chloe and sob quietly into her shoulder.

"What you've done, I don't think anyone could do as well as you have. Everything you've done has been to help people; to help me. I know you think you're this wimpy, awkward girl, but you're strong! You're like a dragon, and when the universe pushes you, you fucking fly and breathe fire, and nothing can stop you. You've done things and made decisions no one should ever have to make, and you did it with nothing but grace and courage and love."

"I'm tired, Chloe."

Max pulled back from Chloe's shoulder to look at her best friend.

"I don't just mean I need sleep, I mean I'm tired. How long are our lives going to be like this?"

"I don't know, Max. But the worst has to be over, right? Whatever happens next, we'll face it together."

Chloe shifted to lie down, taking off her jacket to use as a pillow, and Max did the same beside Chloe before responding.

"I love you, Chloe Price."

Chloe felt her heart do a backflip as she looked at the face next to hers.

"I love you too, Max Caulfield."

The cot was much smaller than the bed they had in Chloe's room, of course. Feeling Max against her now, Chloe wondered why they'd always had so much space between them. Max might have been thinking the same thing as she rolled toward her and placed her hand on Chloe's stomach, closing her eyes as she half-spoke, half-sighed.

"I know."

"You know, it only counts as a Han Solo if the other person says they love you first."

Max's only answer was to lazily swat Chloe's belly with her hand.

Chloe decided that was about the reaction she was going for and looked back at the ceiling. God, they had been through so much together, and Max had been through even more. It stung as she realized how much Max must be carrying alone. All the terrible shit that didn't happen because of her actually did happen for her. Probably over and over again.

What else had Max endured for her? How much did Chloe even know? What if there was something so horrible, Max didn't want her to know? She felt so stupid for how she'd acted when Max revealed her power to her. Max was right, it wasn't a toy. How could Chloe have forgotten so quickly that Max had just seen her die? Why didn't Max smack her in the face at that diner?

Max Caulfield, you really are amazing. If Max could forgive her, maybe Chloe should forgive herself, too, or at least try.

Chloe looked back at the girl already asleep next to her. They had just spent the night at Chloe's house but hadn't slept, in case Jefferson came for them. How long had Max, her Max, been awake? How long was an average day in the life of Max Caulfield now, anyway? After traveling through a photo, she kept her memories from before. What else did she keep? If other-Max took a nap, would Max feel rested? What if she like, really had to pee? Would she be not expecting it and wet herself?

She put her hand on Max's and closed her eyes. There was a lot about this time shit she didn't understand. She felt a little guilty wishing they could experiment with it. 

Well, maybe not the pee thing.


	2. Chapter 2

"Chloe!"

Max's eyes snapped open as she jerked upright. Chloe sat up almost as quickly and hugged her.

"Max, I'm here. I'm still here. We're okay."

Max released her breath and hugged her back.

"Sorry. Just a bad dream."

"It wasn't another nightmare vision, was it?"

Max shook her head but didn't let go. 

"Well, that's something, at least. Though I guess those only came when you were awake? It scares the shit out of me, Max. I hope they're over now."

Max pulled back from the hug.

"Hopefully."

Max looked at her, first at her eyes, then down her face to her mouth and bit her own lower lip before looking away. Chloe released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

Max closed her eyes and took a couple of calming breaths of her own.

"Ready to see what's out there?"

Even though she knew it was coming, Chloe felt herself tense.

"Not really? I mean, I don't know. Are you?"

Max shrugged as if to nervously say "I have no idea" before unwadding her damp hoodie and putting it back on. Putting her bag over her shoulder, Max paused and took out her camera. William's old camera. What would William say to them now? How crazy to think that this camera saved his daughter's life. Chloe interrupted her train of thought.

"Selfie time?"

Max smiled, lifting the camera in front of them.

"Selfie time." 

The camera clicked, the flash blinding them in the still somewhat dimly lit room. Max took the photo and shook it before looking at it, then showed it to Chloe for approval.

"Don't mind if I do!"

Chloe snatched the photo and put it in her back pocket.

"Hey!"

"Deal with it, sista. It's not my fault you're hella photogenic."

Max smiled sheepishly as Chloe led her toward the door and outside. 

Chloe jumped and planted a boot on the fallen tree, launching herself over. When she turned, Max was already stepping over unassisted.

They walked through the clearing and toward the cliff's edge.

Chloe scanned the horizon. Sunrise had nearly turned to sunset. She couldn't make out any details from this distance and certainly couldn't see the diner, but it was hard for her to imagine anything, or anyone, had survived. No way was she worth this. How could this even be real? Why should anyone die for her? Maybe if she had thrown herself from the edge last night, Max would have had no choice but to save them all. 

Fuck! As if she could ever leave Max. As if Max would let her. She chastised herself for even thinking it. She'd spend the rest of her life trying to make Max's choice worthwhile. But Max hadn't even hesitated. Max...

Chloe heard Max behind her and was drawn out of her daze. She looked back.

Max had tried to find landmarks on the coast and figure out what had happened, but she felt lightheaded and couldn’t focus. She felt like a claw was crushing her lungs in her chest, making it hard to get enough oxygen, and she sank to her knees.

"Max!"

Chloe rushed back and kneeled in front of Max, taking her hand. She tried to sound calm as she spoke, failing badly.

"You're hyperventilating. You need to hold your breath, okay? Hold it while I count to 10, okay?"

Max nodded and took in a gulp of air.

"Well, maybe 12."

Chloe counted. The world slowly stopped spinning and came back into focus, though Max remained looking at nothing in particular; a point in the distance somewhere beyond Chloe.

"I can't do this, Chloe. I can't face them. We need to get out of here. We have to get out of Arcadia Bay right now."

"We will. We'll get in the truck, and we'll get the hell out of here. Wherever and however far you want to go... The corners of the world our mere prologue."

Chloe spoke the last sentence to herself as an afterthought, but Max was too distracted to notice. She shifted her focus to Chloe and cracked a smile.

"What?"

Chloe helped her stand and awkwardly rubbed the back of her own neck with her free hand.

"You know, we'll go all over. The adventures of Max and Chloe. It'll be awesome. Forget it... But listen, whatever we find down there, it's not your fault. I'm sorry if what I said last night made you think it is. I should never have put that choice on you. I wasn't thinking about-"

"Chloe, you were ready to die for a town that has no idea how awesome you are."

Max raised her hand to Chloe's cheek.

"Don't be sorry for any of it. You didn't put the choice on me. The universe pushed us into it, remember? If I'm a dragon, we're dragons together."

Max really believed that, didn't she? Seeing the kindness and conviction in Max's eyes, Chloe thought she might start believing it, too. She paused for a moment, then smirked.

"You really do like your mushy shit, Caulfield."

Max smiled back as they headed down the path.

"Whatever. You're like Lady Mush, her most Mushiness of the... Mushlands of Mushenshire."

They laughed together. It reminded them of being on the same trail when they were kids. Chloe got an idea.

"Hold up, I gotta do something."

Chloe ran over to a sign that said LIGHTHOUSE, pulled out a pocketknife, and knelt in front of it. Max put a hand on her hip and slightly rolled her eyes.

"Really? You are such a delinquent."

"Chillax. I don't remember you complaining when we broke into the pool at Blackwell."

"I did complain. A little."

"And look how fast you got over it. Time to admit it, Max. You're bad to the bone."

"And you're ridiculous. What are you writing, anyway? Something by Virginia Woolf?"

"Hush! It's a Chloe Price original."

Max waited until Chloe proudly stepped away for the big reveal.

LIGHTHOUSE had an X across it. Below, it read:

PIRATE HIDEAWAY

There were two stick figures, one taller than the other, wearing what Max recognized as an approximation of their pirate costumes as kids. Chloe put her knife away and pulled out a cigarette, deciding they were dry enough to light.

"Waddya think?"

"I love it. I love that you remembered. I think future pirates will be inspired by our legend for generations to come."

They walked down the path alongside one another in comfortable silence, Chloe blowing her smoke away from Max. They were still shielded from the real world by the forest around them, but it would end soon. As they made way through a clearing and onto the beach, Chloe found the cigarette had done little to calm her nerves, and she instinctively reached for Max's hand.

She stamped her cigarette out in the sand until she was satisfied it was completely out, even though everything around them was still soaking wet. It was a habit.

They still couldn't see much of the town, especially now that they were at sea level. It wasn't a long walk to the truck from here; Chloe had driven past the parking lot and onto the grass to get farther from the storm. She thought of other-Max urging her onward to the lighthouse. She was so driven, like she was on a mission.

Max knew she must have walked this way with Chloe last night, though their footprints were long gone. She would have liked to have taken a photo of them. The footsteps of an amnesiac time traveler and her stalwart companion. There would never be another photo like it.

As they neared the truck, she decided she wanted to capture this moment, too, and let go of Chloe to bring out her camera and snap a photo of the tracks behind them. She shook it and showed it to Chloe.

"Nice. You can keep that one. You really are a great photographer."

Still not sure she believed it but willing to take Chloe's word for it this time, Max decided to let the compliment go as they got into the truck. She spotted a blue duffel bag at her feet.

"So we packed a bag for our new life on the lam?"

"Yeah, that. It's more of a 'pack whatever I can before other-Max shoves me out the door' bag."

"Other-Max?"

"It's what I called you when you were out on your photo trip through time. In my head, anyway, after she told me you'd be coming back to me later."

When Max didn't answer right away, she continued.

"My best friend is a time traveler, okay? I dunno, I guess it helped me keep some of this shit straight."

Chloe started the truck and turned it back toward the parking lot as Max responded.

"What was she like? Sorry, maybe that's a stupid question."

"Not at all. You know, it was the strangest thing? She didn't say much, mostly just stared at my tits."

"Shut up! I did not." 

"Oh, nice, so now you don't like my tits."

"No, I didn't say that, I-"

Max realized she'd been tricked. She blushed and hit Chloe on the shoulder.

"Chloe Elizabeth Price, you are impossible."

"You know it, sista. Anyway, she was just like you, just with different memories."

Max smiled as she thought back to something Chloe had said at the diner, then summoned the nerve to repeat it out loud.

"Maybe you made a move on me, and I wouldn't even know."

"Oh, wouldn't you like to know? I don't kiss and tell, Max."

They were back on the street and approaching ruined buildings before Max could come up with a witty retort. She decided she'd better read the messages she'd received before they'd lost phone service. 

"Kate says the nurses were moving most of the patients to the basement at the hospital, so she should be OK. She's praying for me and wants to make sure I'm okay, though."

She tapped to the next conversation.

"Warren didn't stay at the diner. That's what changed when I didn't call. He went out to find me... at the lighthouse."

Chloe decided against telling Max that other-Max had suggested that Chloe tell her mom where they were going so she wouldn't worry. 

"Maybe he had to stop on the way and holed up someplace else."

"Maybe."

Max put her phone away and looked out her window. Chloe spoke.

"We can still get out of here, Max. There's nothing we can do here."

Max nodded.

Chloe guided the truck slowly through what had been their hometown. Buildings were damaged but still standing, for the most part. She was thankful the road was clear enough to drive on. Noticing the absence of survivors was unavoidable, and it gave her a sinking feeling. She did her best to banish it, or at least hide it away for a time. What mattered now, right now, was getting Max away from all this.

Max was leaning against her door and looking at the ground outside her window. Her eyes involuntarily scanned the debris as it passed beside them. She wasn't searching for anything. She knew there would be nothing to find. 

"This is my storm. I caused this. I caused all of this. I changed fate and destiny so much that I actually did alter the course of everything, and all I really created was just death and destruction."  
"Fuck all of that, okay? You were given a power. You didn't ask for it, and you saved me."

Yes, she had. Even now, she wouldn’t take it back, not even if she could. What kind of person did that make her? These people died without knowing why. Max would die for Chloe, and she almost had after she destroyed her contest photo, but these people didn't have a choice.

They slowed as they passed Frank's crushed RV and the Two Whales Diner. The outside was mostly intact, but the inside was charred and blackened. The explosion had happened. Neither girl spoke. They knew what it meant, and there was nothing to say.

The first real proof anyone had survived at all came when they saw a blanket covering a body on the side of the road. Max recognized the car next to it.

_"Check out my new wheels!"_  
_"Cool. Very old-school."_  
_"1978, to be exact. Now we can go to the drive-in."_

____

____

"He didn't make it."

Chloe brought the truck to a stop. Max had said Warren was nice, and she'd appreciated him standing up to Nathan, but was there more to it than that? Jealousy rose in Chloe without asking permission. The boy's body was in the road behind them. Get a grip, Chloe. She didn't know what Max was going to say, but she waited to let her say it.

But Max didn't say anything; didn't even move from her position. Chloe reached out and touched her shoulder. Max welcomed the touch and looked back at her. Chloe let go, and Max shifted to look at the road ahead. The truck started moving again, and they left Arcadia Bay.


	3. Chapter 3

They'd been driving for only a few minutes when Max's phone blared to life. New messages and missed calls started coming in, and the girls were snapped out of their moment of silent contemplation.

"It's my parents. I guess we're in range of the next cell tower."

"Word of the apocalypse travels fast. You'd better tell them you're not dead."

Max flinched almost imperceptibly at the last word, but she was already bringing her phone to her ear.

"Hi, dad."  
"I'm fine; Chloe is with me."  
"Sure, go get her."  
"Hi, mom. "  
"Yes, and I'm with Chloe. We just left Arcadia Bay. I'm sorry, I called as soon as I could."  
"She's fine, too. We, um... we don't know about Joyce or anybody else. I don't think anyone knows very much yet. I just couldn't stay there."  
"I'm in Chloe's truck, and we're staying safe, I promise. No hitchhiking with sketchy characters or stopping at bars run by biker gangs."  
"HEY MAX, CAN YOU HOLD MY BEER FOR A SEC?"  
"Chloe's just being Chloe. Don't you remember how funny she thinks she is?"  
"I don't know, dad. I really haven't made any plans past today. I'm exhausted. It's going to take some time to figure out."  
"We look out for each other, but I'll tell her. I love you, too."

She hung up and put away her phone.

"They say they love you, and thanks for taking such good care of their daughter."

"I could have done it a whole lot more if they hadn't taken you to Seattle. ... Sorry Max, I didn't mean that."

"Yes you did, but it's okay. I know you can be a bitch in the morning, or whatever time you wake up."

"It's the company I keep... Your folks are cool, though I don't know what they'd think of me now, all punked up and leading a life of crime."

"Well, we don't have to tell them about our week of felonies and class C misdemeanors, but you're the same Chloe Price you've always been."

"It sure doesn't feel that way. "

"I know."

It was a few moments before Max spoke again.

"I know you wanted to do this with Rachel. I'm sorry she's not here."

"Me too. But you're here, and... I know it's fucked up how it happened, but I'm glad I never left without you."

"...Like I left without you."

"We're past that, Max. I forgive you for not staying in touch. Christ, after all this shit we've just been through, how can any of that matter now?"

"You forgive me, but I don't."

"Well, you're going to have to. I won't take no for an answer."

"Would you just shut up for a second? When I left, I know you were hurting. I was hurting, too. Only instead of dealing with it with you like I should've, I didn't deal with it at all. You weren't wrong when you guessed Seattle sucked hard, Chloe. It did for a long time. By the time I could talk to people again; could talk to you, I was afraid to find out you hated me for abandoning you. I'm sorry I wasn't more brave."

Chloe felt Max's pain, and she accepted that this was a conversation they were having.

"Whatever happened then, you're the bravest person I know, Max. Yeah, it sucked, and I was pissed at a lot of things, but I never once hated you. Even when I gave up on you writing back, I kept writing to you, I just didn't mail it. We never stopped being best friends." 

"Thanks, Chloe. I guess we're finally taking that road trip. I wish it could have been more like your daydream." 

_"Oh, we could cruise everywhere in this bad boy! Can you see us heading down the coast to Big Sur and beyond?"_  
_"Yes, we'd be tearing up the highway. And you'd probably want me to kiss you again. Chloe, we're on a schedule. We need clues about Rachel."_  
_"I know. Just... daydreaming."_

"Well, we've got you, me, and the road. It's not much like how we planned it when we were kids, but I guess life never is."

_"I think John Lennon once said that 'Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans.'"_  
_"Max, you're on fire today. All the right answers. Good."_

Max felt sick.

"Can we pull over?"

"Max, I told you to go before we left."

"Just pull over!"

"Okay, okay. I'm stopping."

Max was opening the door before the truck stopped. She stepped out onto the grass and bent over, resting her hands on her knees. 

_"You're the winner, Max. I choose you. Your portrait."_

Max felt sure she would vomit, if she had eaten recently. Instead, the waves of nausea were unrelenting. Chloe was walking around the truck toward her.

"You're pale. What's going on?"

Max grunted and kept breathing heavily on the roadside. Chloe placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You're scaring me, Max. Talk to me."

Max turned around and put her arms around Chloe, almost knocking her off balance. A moment later, she whispered.

"...Jefferson."

Chloe put her arms around Max's waist. What had that sick fucker done to her? To Rachel? She needed to know, but she couldn't ask. 

"He can't hurt you anymore. Even if somehow he's not in a jail cell right now, I promise he will never hurt you or anyone ever again. I owe that motherfucker a bullet." 

Max squeezed her tighter than Chloe thought possible and started quietly sobbing into her shoulder. Trying to figure out what had just happened, Chloe remembered what Max had said.

_"Mark Jefferson killed you... and others."_

"Fuck, Max I'm so sorry! I didn't know. I wasn't thinking. My mouth just says stupid shit without asking, you know that. I just meant he deserves payback for what he did. I didn't mean..."

For the first time, Chloe wished she could rewind time. She felt her own eyes moisten but continued.

"It didn't really happen. It happened for you, and I'm sorry, I'm sorry for all the things you had to go through alone, but you fixed it. I'm here, and you don't have to go through anything alone ever again. Whatever you need now, I am here. You can tell me everything that happened or you can tell me nothing. Please, just tell me what I can do. Let me save you for once.

"Max, if you don't say something soon, I'm afraid I'm going to say something stupid again."

Max pulled away from Chloe's shoulder and looked up at her face, though she hadn't yet found her words. She wiped a tear from Chloe's cheek and continued the motion to run her fingers through her blue hair. When they reached the back of her head, on instinct, she slowly pulled her into a gentle kiss.

Max hadn’t forgotten all that brought them to this moment, but that was why it had to happen now. She had to show Chloe how she felt, now more than ever. There was no sense in waiting or wondering or worrying. She had to take the chance.

Chloe felt her heart do the same backflip it had in the shed when they had said they loved each other, only now it was joined by a chorus of other sensations. Her fear and helplessness gave way to joy like she couldn't remember feeling before. She let Max guide the kiss, applying the same pressure and opening her lips only as much as she did. But she couldn’t help but follow her lips for a time when Max pulled away.

Truthfully, Max only needed to be sure she hadn't overstepped a boundary of their friendship and that Chloe really wanted to kiss her back. She hadn't thought beforehand how impossible it would be in this situation for Chloe to say no. But if Chloe's reluctance to break the kiss hadn't been proof enough it was reciprocated, what she said next removed all doubt.

"Now it's more like my daydream."

Max smiled.

"I had a feeling you weren't just thinking about the open road."

Their lips were about to reconnect when they heard a car approaching from the other direction and slowing to a stop. It was a patrol car. A man in uniform got out.

"Good evening, ladies. I'm Deputy Landry from the Melbourne County sheriff's office. Is everything all right here? Is your vehicle disabled?"

Chloe walked back to the front of the truck and answered.

"No, everything's cool. Thanks, though."

He looked over at Max.

"Mhmm. And how about you? Is everything okay?"

"Yes, officer. We stopped because I wasn't feeling well, but it's just motion sickness."

"Not a lot of people would get motion sickness on a long road like this."

"I get it pretty bad sometimes. Plus I was trying to take a nap and my eyes were closed, and that makes it worse."

"Pretty late in the day for a nap, don't you think?"

Chloe was getting annoyed with this line of questioning, but she knew getting in the way would just make him more suspicious. She wasn't carrying weed, but she really didn't want him looking in the bag and finding David's and Nathan's guns or the cash from the handicapped fund. Fortunately, Max was handling it.

"Not for us. We just got out of Arcadia Bay. It's been a long day."

"Arcadia Bay? ... I'm sorry to hear that. If you do need help, emergency response and relief workers are going to be setting up at the hospital. Otherwise, heading this way you're almost an hour from the next town." 

"I think we're going to keep going. Thanks though." 

"Take care now. We don't write citations for driving fatigued, but when you get the chance, get some rest. You can always pull over again if you need to."

They watched him get back into his patrol car and leave. Chloe spoke as they were getting back into the truck.

"Perv probably just wanted to check out our make-out session. Nice job handling him, though."

Max felt her cheeks warm and was glad Chloe was starting the truck and getting back on the road instead of looking at her.

"Please, everything was fine until I started talking. I thought for sure he was going to bust us for something."

"You didn't have to rewind though, did you?"

"No, thank god. Wait, is there a reason I would have had to rewind?"

"Yeah, well, look, I wasn't trying to keep it a secret. Other-Max knew about it, I just haven't told you yet since you've been back. I know you have an issue with guns and you weren't super psyched about taking the money from Blackwell, but they're in the bag."

"It's okay. It was my idea not to pay off Frank. I had a feeling we would be needing the money. As for the guns... I think I feel safer with you having them."

"I gotta tell you, that's not what other-Max said."

"Different memories, remember? Just promise me you'll be careful. Sometimes having a gun can make things more dangerous. Like when we went to see Frank. You killed him and Pompidou, and I used my rewind."

"Jesus fucking Christ, Max! Am I some evil bitch and you and your power are the only thing keeping me from going full dark side?! What else haven't you told me?"

"Nothing! Okay, probably a lot, but I wasn't trying to keep things from you! We were just always moving from one crisis to the next, and I never knew how to tell you, and it just never seemed as important as finding Rachel and figuring out what happened to Kate." 

"We weren't always investigating, Max. You could have found the time."

"I'm sorry. I know I screwed up. I don't know what I'm doing with this power; I never did."

"No Max, I'm sorry. I just freaked out for a second there. Your power didn't come with an instruction manual, and you've done a hell of a lot better with it than I would. But I meant what I said before about not having to deal with this on your own. No more time secrets, okay? It isn't fair to either of us."

"Okay, but whatever happened to me telling you everything or nothing? ... Was that just the heat of the moment?"

"Max, before you make that face, nothing about what happened back there was just the heat of the moment."

Briefly, Max wondered how Chloe knew what face she was making without looking at her.

_"No. You are not taking the cozy-chair."_  
_"Max, do your powers include mind-reading? Or did you just rewind because I tried to steal the chair? Shit, I'm confused."_  
_"It's the powers of best friendship. I know how you roll."_

Chloe continued speaking as she put her hand on the seat between them for Max to take, which she did. 

"You don't have to tell me anything before you're ready. But no self-sacrificing bullshit, okay? I can handle it. What I can't handle is not knowing if there's some horrible thing you're protecting me from all on your own. I love you, Max."

Max gave her hand a squeeze.

"I love you, Chloe. No more time secrets, I promise."

"Great. I believe you. Do you think you could tell me what happened with Frank?"

"It was my fault. I screwed up and he figured out we'd been in his trailer, and he grabbed me. You pulled the gun on him, and Pompidou got out of the trailer and ran to attack you. You had to shoot him. Then Frank got out a knife, and you had to shoot him, too."

"Holy shit." 

"There's more. We tried again, only I asked you to ditch the gun and asked Frank to close is RV door so Pompidou wouldn't get out. Only he got angry and threatened me again; with his knife. You got it from him and stabbed him in the leg."

"You took a big risk asking me to get rid of the gun, Max. I bet I didn't know he tried to hurt you, did I?"

"You didn't, but you said you trusted me."

"I trust you, it's the rest of the universe I don't trust. What if he got to you before you could use your power? What if you got a nosebleed or blacked out again? Can you rewind stab wounds? What if you'd been killed because I lost the gun for you? Did you think about that?"

"Please don't be mad, Chloe."

"I don't wanna be mad, I just... I got so used to you being a super hero, and it scares the shit out of me to think I could lose you."

"I'm sorry."

"You don't have to keep saying that. No instruction manual, remember? Besides, I can't very well ask you to tell me everything if I'm going to freak out every time. Whatever happened or didn't happen or happened again, I forgive you. Just don't go putting yourself in mortal danger."

"I... I really can't promise that, Chloe. I might have to do something again to save you."

"...Again?"

"In one timeline, I ended up in San Francisco when the storm hit. I changed it so I could come back to be with you."

"Okay, and then what?"

"And then I was back with Jefferson. In the dark room."

"What do you mean back? He took you there twice?"

"Yes, but Chloe, I really don't think I can talk about it right now."

It hurt, but Chloe held to her decision to let Max decide how much she would tell her and when.

"Fair enough. Since I obviously can't talk you out of saving my ass -- not that I blame you, because I've caught you staring –"

"Shut up. You have not."

"—just... try to remember you matter to me. A lot. And no more going once more unto the breach without cluing me in. Deal?"

"Deal. Nice literary reference. I never knew you spoke Shakespearean."

"Just because I was too cool for Blackwell doesn't mean I wasn't paying attention. Sometimes."

"You used to hate English. Not that it stopped you from getting straight A's."

"I guess when it came to Shakespeare, I uh, liked the teacher."

"It sounds like you like-liked the teacher."

"Did you just say 'like-like?' What are you, in middle school?"

"Ooooh, so you like-like-liked the teacher!"

"It was Rachel."

"Rachel... I-"

"You didn't know. She was in The Tempest, and I got roped into being in it at the last minute. She liked Shakespeare. She liked almost everything, really. I probably picked up the line from her. She thought it was funny to tease me by quoting him in conversation. I pretended to hate it... I hope she knew I didn't."

"I'm sure she did. From what I've heard of Rachel Amber, she wouldn't have done it if she thought you didn't like it."

"You're right, she wouldn't. I just wish she'd told me more about what was going on. Maybe if I hadn't been such a bitch about her and Frank, she-"

"You mean maybe if you hadn't tried to keep her from the drug dealer who almost stabbed both of us? Who sold Nathan the drugs that killed her?"

The truck came to an abrupt halt at the side of the road, and Max realized what she had said. Chloe shifted the truck to park but didn't look away from the road ahead of them.

"Max, I said you don't have to tell me anything before you're ready, and I meant it. But if you know more about what happened to Rachel..."

"It's okay, you're right. You... have a right to know."

Max prepared herself. She wished Chloe would look at her, then thought better of it. It would only make this harder.

"I didn't find out very much. I don't have all the answers."

Chloe knew Max was stalling but didn't interrupt.

"Jefferson told me he was using Nathan for the drugs and the dark room. He was teaching him how to... how to do what they did. I'm so sorry, Chloe. Nathan took Rachel on his own to..."

Max had started to cry, and Chloe finally looked at her.

"It was an accident, Chloe. He overdosed her with GHB. It's why Jefferson killed him."

Chloe screamed in pain and rage, pounding her fists on the dashboard again and again. Max froze.

"That fucking little shitweasel! And fuck Jefferson for killing him first!"

Chloe screamed again and continued hitting the dash until she suddenly stopped, emotionally and physically drained, and fell to her side with her head over Max's lap, crying silently.

Max gently stroked Chloe's face and hair with her left hand. She felt her right twinge. She could spare Chloe this pain. She could rewind and not bring it up. Or could she? She had never tried using her power in a moving vehicle. She could go back not quite as far and try saying things differently. Chloe seemed to sense what she was thinking.

"Please don't. I actually don't want to lose this."

Chloe needed to know one other thing. She needed to know if it was just pictures. Either way, she had to know if those men did anything else to the girls she loved.

But she couldn't ask Max. She'd already broken her pledge not to pressure her, and if they had done something and she asked her about it... Chloe didn't know anything about helping people after that kind of trauma, but she knew she didn't want to blow it.

Chloe began to weep more heavily, and Max felt the first of the tears to seep through her jeans.

"I'm sorry he hurt you, Max. I'm sorry I dragged you into this."

"You didn't drag me anywhere, Chloe. We jumped together, like always."

"I guess we did, didn't we? She really would have liked you. The three of us would have been unstoppable."

"We still are. She led us to the truth. You told me she saved your life; she was your angel. Anything we do now, she's a part of it."

"Max?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm really glad you're my little hippie."

Max grinned.

"So am I, Chloe. So am I."


	4. Chapter 4

Chloe pulled into a parking space as Max slept on her shoulder. She really was exhausted. Chloe counted it as more evidence that Max brought her fatigue with her through a photo.

She adjusted the rearview mirror to look at Max. God, she was adorable, even with her face smooshed and her mouth hanging open. Chloe wished she could reach the camera without waking her. She could take a photo and give her shit about it.

She wanted to wake her by kissing those lips, and she was pretty sure it would be okay with Max, but one kiss didn't really establish they were doing that kind of thing now. And Max had been so jumpy, she didn't want to startle her.

Her next idea was to trace her fingers up and down those thighs. Or honk a boob? Damn, she really needed to refocus.

She whispered.

"Max... we're at a vinyl record store. There's a microbrewery and vintage bicycles, and everyone is wearing berets. Max, hey, wake up. It's hipster paradise."

"Hmmmwah? You suck. Where are we really?"

"Someplace called Auntie's Kitchen. I just thought we'd stop for some dinner."

"Good, I'm starving."

They got out of the truck and walked inside. The color scheme was turquoise accented with black. There was bar seating at a central counter, like at the Two Whales, but the tables continued around either side, rather than only lining the front windows. The girls took their "usual" booth anyway, which happened to be at the window in front of the truck. Max suspected Chloe had parked there on purpose.

It didn't take long for the waitress to take notice and bring them their menus.

"Good evening. Can I get you two started with anything?"

Max answered first.

"Coffee, please."

"Make it two."

"All right, then."

She smiled and walked back behind the counter.

They looked at the menus, but it didn't take long to decide what they wanted. Max looked out at the truck.

"Did you ever think about naming her?"

"The truck? Um, no. I dunno. We've been through a lot together though. What do you call a tough old bitch who keeps going long after she should?"

"Hmm... Susan B. Anthony?"

"Susie it is."

"Are you sure she's up for our road trip?"

"Oh, yeah. That's what Frank's money was for. I could probably have done more of the work myself with David's help, if talking to the man didn't induce projectile vomiting."

"David. Do you think he's okay?"

"I haven't heard from him, but I'm sure he's safe. He went with the cops to the… I'm sure he's okay."

"Chloe, there's something I should tell you about David. Time secrets, you know?"

Chloe tried not to look worried and nodded. Max leaned closer and lowered her voice so no one would overhear.

"After David saved me, he blamed himself for not stopping Nathan and Jefferson sooner. He was proud of you, though. Of us. And when I told him you were… when I told him what happened to you, he lost it. He was so broken. I think that for a moment, he forgot I was even there. Jefferson was drugged and tied up, and David started yelling and shot him.

"He said he was sorry I saw him do it and said I should go. I couldn't leave him like that, Chloe. He was hurting so bad. I was scared to even leave him alone with a gun. I had to rewind and tell him you were getting high."

Chloe smirked, and Max allowed herself a smile.

"He was so relieved, you know? I'm not saying you should forgive him, I'm not saying you should do anything. Just-"

The waitress returned with their coffee.

"Here you are. Have you two decided what I can get you?"

Chloe answered first this time.

"Uh, yes. Bacon burger with extra bacon, please."

"I'll have the California burger. But with bacon for me too, please."

"Good for you two. Coming right up."

She walked away, and Max continued from before.

"He loves you, Chloe. He loves Joyce, too. Can you believe the password to his laptop is the day he met her? He keeps the receipt from the diner in his car."

"I guess I never did ask how you got into his files, Super Max. I should have known it would be something ninja-ie."

Chloe took Max's hand as she paused.

"Thanks for telling me. You know, there was a day, back when I was still at Blackwell. I was a perpetually pissed-off teenager, especially at him. Mom tried to talk to me, and she was really trying, and it made me want to try too, at least a little. I was still pissed she was making me take a ride with him to school."

Max was reminded of David giving a ride to a lot of students in another timeline, but she said nothing.

"He was working on his car and tried to teach me about it, like dad did. It just pissed me off even more. Who was this asshole? It wasn't enough he was fucking my mom, he wanted to be my dad, too?"

At that, Chloe's voice had started to crack, but she regained her composure.

"Even then, I was going to give him a chance for mom. But then he put his big, overcompensating toolbox down in the garage right next to dad's, and he… laughed at it."

Unconsciously, her grip on Max's hand tightened with her voice.

"And then he started talking like he was the head asshole in charge and told me I'd enjoyed a nice vacation from having a father figure."

Max winced. David had said he'd screwed up trying to be a father. She had seen him hit her, before she rewound and stopped him. She wondered how many times it had happened before that. But Joyce wouldn't have allowed it, would she?

Chloe spoke again.

"After that, I never stopped hating him. Really, really hating him. Not until yesterday."

"Do you think you two will stay in touch?"

"You mean now that he's not my stepdad anymore? I don't know, Max. I haven't thought about anything past today, either."

"He never hit you, did he?"

"Hit me? No, mom would have reamed his ass. Why would you think that?"

"When you had me hide in your closet, I didn't come out right away. He was scary, and I thought it would be worse if he found me. But then after he found the joint, he hit you."

"And you rewound to save the day. I guess he's always been super pissed when he's caught me with pot."

"It's not your fault, Chloe. It could never be your fault. Like your mom said to me when she kicked him out, he makes his own choices."

"Thanks, Max. You're right; of course you're right. Thanks again for stepping in. How do you deal with this? Knowing what people would do but didn't do?"

"I don't know. It gets hard to keep it all separate after a while. I mean, I keep track of reality, but it's like knowing a secret about someone even they don't know."

"I don't know how you do it Maximo, but I'm glad I can start learning."

"I'm still learning. I don't know how much more I should do. That freaky snow started the same day I discovered my power. What if it happens again?"

"I dunno, but we'll keep an eye out for more weird shit. I still think it had something to do with saving my ass. Disrupting the natural order and all that."

"Then why did I have my vision before you died?"

"Maybe it was a warning? Like, 'Hey Max, here's what's gonna happen if you break the spacetime continuum to save your best friend.'"

"Some warning. And the vision gods should have known it wouldn't have changed anything even if it had made sense."

"I know."

Chloe sipped from her coffee, then Max followed suit before speaking.

"I don't know if this means anything, but sometimes in fantasy books, the really powerful magical spells also make something really bad happen. Like the universe has to stay in balance."

"I'm pretty sure there was a Buffy episode about that, too."

"Oh, I think I saw that one! ...And now we're back to the subject of resurrection spells."

"Freaky-ass ghost demon, meet freaky-ass tornado. Joss Whedon might have known what he was talking about."

"I think he usually does. Hmm... has he done anything with time travel?"

"No, I don't think so. Not unless you count men wearing hair gel."

"I guess we're on our own, then."

"I'm afraid you're right. I think you blew it with Stephen Hawking when you totally snubbed him on his party for time travelers."

"What can I say, we're a reclusive bunch."

The waitress returned and gave them their plates.

"Let me know if I can get you dearies anything else."

She walked away before Max spoke as she picked up a french fry.

"Are we dearies?"

Chloe snickered as she reached for the ketchup.

"Maybe you are. Should I start calling you dearie?"

"Only if you want me to start calling you dorky."

"Got it, don't tangle with Max when she's hangry. Though you call me a dork already. "

"Only when you're being one. Not as a pet name."

"Oooh, do I get a pet name?"

"Um, I dunno. Is that where we are now? What are we?"

"You mean besides two bodacious babes taking the Pacific Northwest by storm?"

"You know what I mean."

"Just chillax, Max. We don't have to follow anyone's rules. You kissed me, I kissed you, it felt right, right?"

"Well, yeah."

"Yeah. So best friends, girlfriends, whatever, people don't have to go in a box. If we're two people doing what feels right, who the fuck cares?"

"I get it. Like, we don't have to meet anyone's expectations. We're just us. Now I feel silly. It sounds obvious when you say it like that. Thanks, Chloe."

"Don't mention it, girlfriend."

Max looked up from her plate to see Chloe wink. She smiled back.

"So where have you been taking us? With Susie, I mean."

"I thought we'd see Portland, like we always talked about. Then figure it out from there."

"There's a lot for us to do in Portland. But then we have a lot to figure out, too. My brain keeps threatening to walk out on strike if I try to think about it."

"If anyone deserves a break, it's you, Max. The future can wait. I didn't mean that literally, but I guess in your case it can."

"No, thanks. I've had enough headaches to last me awhile."

Chloe's face and voice softened.

"Does it always hurt? What is it like?"

"It never feels good, but it only hurts if I push myself too far. It's like I feel reality twisting around me, only I'm not part of it anymore, like... like I was a leaf flowing down a stream, and then I turned into a stone. Then it all flows backwards, and the pressure builds in my head until I let go of it."

"Holy shit. You must have thought you were tripping balls the first time."

"That's exactly what I thought. But then it wasn't like deja vu, where you just feel like you did something before. I knew what would happen next because I remembered it."

"And so you came to the bathroom to save me."

"Not on the first try. I had to find something to break the alarm with. You only think I'm a time hero because you don't see all the times I screw up."

"I think you're a hero because of who you are, not what you can do. And what about Kate Marsh? You saved her on the first try. You have to take credit for that one."

"I just did what anyone would have done if they could have made it to the roof in time."

"Bullshit. She came down for _you_ , Max Caulfield. Look me in the eye and tell me there's anyone else at Blackwell who could have gotten her to trust them."

Max looked at Chloe a short moment.

"Okay, fine. You've got me there. Are you satisfied, Dr. Bill?"

"For now."

"I worry about her. She still doesn't really know what happened to her, and she's going to find out at the same time she's dealing with everything from the storm."

"But at least she's got her family on her side now, right? That's got to count for something."

"It took them long enough. No wonder felt like she was alone. You should have seen this letter her mom sent her about the video."

"Let me guess, shaming and blaming her own daughter? What a shocker that didn't work. She's on board now though, right?"

"I hope so. I know Kate has her dad and her sisters. I think talking about her little sister is what finally got her to come down."

"Then her sister is lucky you were there, too. Losing someone close to you is... Well, I can't imagine losing someone to suicide."

"Her family has always been super important to her, too. She would never do anything to hurt them. She'd never hurt anybody. I think she was just in so much pain, she couldn't see anything else."

"When someone hurts like that, it changes everything."

The waitress returned.

"Everything still okay here?"

Chloe answered.

"Yes, thanks."

"Then here you go. You can pay whenever you're ready."

She walked back behind the counter.

They ate silently for a time before Max said what was on her mind.

"Do you think he's really in jail? What if the storm wiped out the police station?"

"Dude, the Arcadia Bay police department doesn't even have a jail. Don't ask how I know that. He's either dead, in the back of a cop car, or at the county sheriff's office."

"Right. Okay."

"By the time we get to Portland, someone will know something. I already saw a news helicopter headed there while you were drooling on my shoulder."

"I was not drooling."

"Then why did it feel wet?"

"Maybe you were sweating like a hog."

"Fine, fine, you sleep with dignity and poise. You ready to jet, princess?"

They had eaten quickly, owing to their hunger. Chloe drank the rest of her coffee and set it down like it was a shot glass, and Max finished what was left of hers, as well.

"Sure, let's go." 

They paid their bill, leaving a generous tip -- something Max always did in Seattle, thinking of Joyce -- and got back into the truck. It wasn't easy to sit next to Chloe without making it awkward to reach the gear shift, Max had learned, but she could at least sit closer to the middle.

Almost as soon as they had left, Chloe pulled in to a gas station. She rolled down her window and ordered their fuel from the attendant.

Chloe opened her door to get out and walk inside, and Max followed.

"It was a little weird at first seeing mom and dad pump their own gas in Seattle. Now it seems weird not doing it."

”Welcome back to the life of luxury, Max. I need cigarettes. You need anything?"

"I don't suppose we packed any of my stuff?"

"Sorry, we didn't stop by your dorm. You were pretty clear on us not hanging around Blackwell."

"Right, duh. You did good, Chloe. I know I dropped a lot on you at once."

"Teamwork makes the dream work, sista."

Chloe walked to the counter to buy cigarettes. Max looked around and saw it was a small shop without much beyond snacks, drinks, and a small newsstand. There wouldn't be anything about Arcadia Bay until tomorrow morning. Deciding she didn't need anything there, she looked out the window as she waited.

It was a nice little town. Even smaller than Arcadia Bay. She wondered how long it would take for the Prescotts to swallow it whole. God, when did she become so cynical?

 _"I'm obsessed with the idea of capturing that moment that innocence evolves into corruption."_  
_"Most models are cynical. They lose that naiveté."_

It was much more than the voice. It was the room, the stale air, the duct tape, the chair, the groggy sensation of being drugged. The memory consumed all of her attention. She was barely aware anything else.

Chloe finished her purchase and looked at Max, then rushed over, taking her hands in hers.

"Max, it's going to be okay. We're safe now."

Max broke from her trance. She let go of Chloe's hands and put her arms around her, closing her eyes.

"I don't think I'm okay."

Chloe put her arms around Max.

"Hey, it's okay to not be okay. You will be. It might take time, and I might not know what the fuck I'm supposed to do to help, but you will be."

"Just stay with me."

"You got it. I promise."

A moment later, Max pulled away, wiping her eyes.

"We should get going to Portland."

"Are you sure? It's not going anywhere."

"Yeah, I'm sure. Let's get out of here."

They got back to the truck, paid for their gas and went onto the road. Chloe spoke.

"We're about halfway there, actually. We should start hitting the suburbs pretty soon. Any idea where you want to go first?"

"The first thing I want is a place to crash and a shower."

"Amen to that. So are we going to get like a king size or a double or..."

"We've shared a bed since we were kids, Chloe. I call dibs on the shower, though."

"Just as well. You're getting pretty ripe."

"Says the woman who never steam-cleaned a truck she found in a junkyard."

"Hey, you leave Susie out of this. She's got character, and I did get out the worst stain."

"I don't even want to know, do I?"

"No, you probably don't. I mean it's not bro-puke or piss or anything gross like that, it's just..."

Max wondered why she wouldn't want to know, then. Why was Chloe suddenly being weird about it?

"You know Chloe, this 'sharing time secrets' thing can go both ways. I'm not going to fall apart just because you need to talk sometimes, too."

"It's not that. Mom just said you might be maybe a little bit jealous of Rachel. I don't want things to be weird."

"I might be... a little... but she was a huge part of your life, and I never got to meet her. I still want to know everything."

Chloe wasn't sure Max really wanted to know everything, now that they were together. Or kissing, or whatever they were. But she was relieved she could talk about Rachel with Max.

"Well, the stain was her blood. Right where you're sitting."

Max didn't know what to say. Chloe continued.

"Believe it or not, Frank used to have a boss that was a hundred times worse than him, and I got her mixed up in it and he stabbed her."

"Holy shit. What happened?"

"Frank held him off and I got her to the hospital. Later, Frank killed him protecting me again."

"He killed his boss? Did he get into trouble for that?"

"With who, his boss' boss? I don't think he had one."

"Frank's different now."

"From what you told me, yeah. Of course, he's also probably dead."

Chloe immediately regretted her candor, but Max seemed more deep in thought than upset. Max spoke.

"I'm still not used to thinking of them as dead."

"I think that's pretty normal at first, isn't it? But there's no need to mourn the living. They probably already know who's okay and who's still missing."

"Who's okay and who's presumed dead, you mean. Shit, that's us! Kate's going to think I'm dead. After I told her I'd help her!"

"And you did, and you will. There's nothing we can do about it now. They'll get phone service back eventually, or we'll find some other way to get in touch."

"I'll text her now so she'll get it whenever she can."

"Cool. You have David's number now too, if you want. We put it in your phone last night, just in case."

Max kept talking as she typed the messages.

"Oh, how was he with us giving him the evidence?"

"I thought he'd be pissed we stole his files, but he was actually grateful. Like I earned his love by out-KGBing him. I actually let him hug me. He didn't even complain when we asked him to tell the cops everything came from an anonymous tip from someone at Blackwell."

"Do you think he's going to want to know how we got everything? I have no idea what I'm going to tell him."

"Sorry, me and other-Max didn't come up with an answer to that one, either. But you don't have to tell him anything. Honestly it's better this way. The cops get the proof they could never have gotten a search warrant for, and no one gets charged with stalking or burglary. It's win/win."

"As long as Jefferson's lawyer doesn't get the whole thing thrown out on some technicality."

"Me and other-Max googled that, and we didn't think so. And dude, I think we can count on district attorney James Amber to handle the case with great attention to detail."

"That's her dad? The district attorney?"

"Yup."

"That is a good point. Assuming he's still alive."

"Also a good point. I guess I'm not used to thinking they might be dead, either. Still, you know rich people. Somehow they seem to come through whatever happens even better off than they were before."

"Like the Prescotts. I bet they won't have any trouble buying up land in Arcadia Bay now that it's worthless."

"It definitely sucks, but they're going to have other problems once people find out their golden boy was a freak and a murderer. Nothing's more important to his dad than the family name."

"Funny, I don't think I've ever heard it spoken in polite conversation."

"Me neither, but fuck those guys. We've got enough shit to deal with without worrying about theirs. We deserve our road trip, girl."

"Hell yeah we do."

Max put her phone away, scooted a bit closer and offered her hand on the seat between them, and Chloe took it. Even with everything weighing on her mind, this felt good. Max thought of how nice it would be to freeze this moment. But it was only special because she was sharing it, and then she wouldn't be. It seemed unjust that she couldn't share her power with Chloe. She wanted to share everything with her.

Just then, she leaned over to kiss Chloe on the cheek, then sat back down. She was pretty sure she saw Chloe blush.


	5. Chapter 5

They almost stopped in Beaverton simply because it sounded a bit like Beaver Town, but they ended up finding a hotel in Portland. It was nice enough that they wouldn't mind staying there for a few days, if they had to, and that they'd feel more like vacationers than runaways.

It didn't hurt that the front looked like an old-fashioned storefront, and a classic-looking pub could be seen from the lobby. Not that they were old enough to be served alcohol there.

Not unless Max got a fake ID as good as Chloe's, anyway.

It didn't take long for Max to snap a photo that included the drinking glasses suspended above the bar, waiting to be plucked and filled by the liquors and spirits covering the wall behind them. She smiled at the photo and put it away as she walked toward the front desk with Chloe.

"This place is amazeballs! Why didn't we come here sooner?"

All the answers to that question that came to Chloe's mind would have killed the mood, so she let it pass with a smile. Max realized the same thing but also knew it didn't need saying. 

After they checked in, Max led the way down the hall, trying not to look too excited. Chloe spoke as she caught up.

"Damn, I forgot hotels make you give them a card in case you wreck the place."

"It's my dad's. They gave it to me for school supplies, but on the phone he said we could use it for living expenses while we get things figured out." 

"That's cool of him. I guess we should probably use it some so he doesn't ask how we're paying for things."

"Yes, I want to avoid as many questions about the last week as we can."

They got into the elevator, and Chloe pressed the button for 3. The door closed, and she decided to try something. She set down their bag, turned toward Max, put a hand behind her neck, and leaned down to kiss her. Max responded immediately, putting her arms around Chloe and pressing her lips against hers. The elevator suddenly dinged and opened its door to a middle-aged couple on the second floor. Max backed away and covered her mouth.

"Oh! Excuse me. Excuse us." 

The man answered.

"Not at all! Excuse us!"

His wife rolled her eyes behind him as they stepped into the elevator and joined them for their silent journey to the third floor. Thankfully, the couple were headed in the opposite direction down the hall.

Chloe spoke as they looked for their room.

"Too bad they didn't find us on, like, the 18th floor."

"Yes, they would have caught quite the show, I'm sure."

It was more sarcasm than flirting, but still playful. 

They came to their room, and Max entered first.

"Wowser."

The walls were a rich color, somewhere in-between red wine and red brick. The headboard was painted with an electric guitar, and more music-themed paintings adorned the walls. The nightstands, dresser, desk and chairs looked to be dark oak. Only the TV seemed out-of-place, being a modern flat-screen.

"Lemme in, hippie."

"Oh, sorry."

Max walked farther inside and admired the artwork. One painting showed a punk rock band Max didn't recognize; another showed someone playing acoustic guitar in a subway for tips. Max noted that they were all women.

An elegantly dressed woman playing harp alone under a spotlight reminded her of Kate and her violin. Maybe someday Kate would play like this woman. She looked confident while also warm and serene.

Max thought of her own guitar, having met whatever fate befell the dorms. And her plant. Sorry, Lisa. How prophetic of mom's warning about drowning you. And Kate's bunny! Sorry, Alice. You were the cutest bunny ever. May you hop through bunny heaven, never wanting for carrots.

Chloe set their bag down on the desk. There wasn't much to unpack, but Chloe brought her toothbrush and toothpaste to the bathroom. Max took a peek in the bag but saw only clothes. Chloe had mentioned the guns and money, though, so she parted the clothing to check beneath.

They were there, along with two boxes she recognized from Chloe's room. A metal box with things to remind them of Rachel and a cardboard box with photos of Chloe and her dad. Chloe returned from the bathroom, and Max spoke without turning around.

"I'm really glad you were able to save these."

Chloe walked up behind Max and put her arms around her waist.

"I saved what was most important."

Max turned around, putting her hands on Chloe's sides and kissed her.

"We both did. Now if you'll excuse me, I think really am starting to smell like an ogre."

She pecked Chloe once more on the lips and walked into the bathroom. Chloe called through the door.

"I'll be right out here if you need me."

"I think I can handle it myself."

"No, I mean... if you need me. I'm not going anywhere. And please leave the door unlocked."

"Oh... right. Okay. Thanks, Chloe."

Max looked at herself in the mirror. She felt like the girl looking back at her was a different person from who she had been a week ago. Worrying about classes, dodging the Blackwell social scene, putting off contacting Chloe. It seemed silly now. Stupid, even. What would have been different if she had hooked back up with Chloe right away? Or come back during the summer? She wouldn't have had her dorm room, but maybe she could have stayed with Chloe.

Stop it, Max. You need to start moving forward in time.

She borrowed Chloe's toothbrush. She never understood why this didn't bother Chloe. Hopefully they'd go shopping soon and this would be the last time.

She undressed, aware of Chloe on the other side of the door. They'd changed in front of each other before, but they hadn't watched each other, and the idea felt a little different now. Was she going to be naked in front of Chloe someday? When did couples do that? She remembered what Chloe had said about just doing what feels right, but she still felt anxious.

She turned on the water and tested its temperature, adjusting it to be hotter. Hotels always had such great water heaters. Come to think of it, why did Blackwell's showers suck so bad? Samuel would have asked for an upgrade if he had known, she was sure of it. He always took pride in his work and the condition of the campus. Actually, that broken window probably hurt Samuel more than the football would have hurt Alyssa. She hoped both of them were still alive.

She stepped into the shower. The heat was relaxing, and she felt tension wash away with the sweat and grime. 

Outside the door, Chloe had kicked off her boots and reclined on the bed, propping up her head with an assortment of colored pillows.

How did Chloe end up here, in a hotel room in Portland with her best friend? It sure didn't seem like something that would happen in her life. Maybe the next disaster was right around the corner. Maybe she was going to lose Max, too. That would be more like her life.

She looked at the bathroom door and thought of Max on the other side. She couldn't let that happen. But would she even have anything to say about it? She couldn't save her dad or Rachel or her mom. Chloe had treated her mom like shit, and she had been so much better to Chloe than she deserved, and now she was gone. Dead with everyone else who died for her.

Lying there, her body reminded her she hadn't slept last night and hadn't slept well in the shed during the storm. She didn't remember dozing off, actually. It was a strange sensation, remembering only being wide awake and then waking up with nothing in-between. David had mentioned falling asleep standing up in boot camp. Only for a fraction of a second, not falling over. Apparently falling asleep so suddenly really is possible.

She thought about turning on the TV to watch for Arcadia Bay in the news, but then she realized the 10 o'clock news wouldn't be on for almost another hour. She searched for it on her phone, instead.

_Governor Allen McCready has declared a state of emergency for Melbourne County following a devastating E6 tornado that hit Arcadia Bay Friday morning._

_"I want the people of Arcadia Bay to know that the state of Oregon stands with them in the wake of this terrible tragedy. This declaration will allow state agencies and the national guard to coordinate with local first responders and assist in rescue and recovery efforts," said McCready._

Chloe scrolled down the page and felt a chill when she saw a photo that must have been taken by the helicopter she'd seen earlier. The tornado had cut a path straight to Blackwell, which lie in ruins, and then stopped. Most of the town had been in its way. But not the junkyard. Thank god, the junkyard was still there. Rachel could still get a proper burial.

_Officials say 61 people have been confirmed dead and 124 injured, but those numbers are expected to rise sharply as more than 400 residents have not been accounted for._

_"At this time, our focus is locating any survivors remaining in damaged structures and making sure the people of Arcadia Bay get to a safe environment," said Hobb Fire Department Chief Roy Elmore._

_The American Red Cross says it is assisting residents whose homes are no longer habitable._

She wished she had a joint or even a beer after reading that. She heard the water shut off. A moment later, Max came out wearing a towel.

"What's wrong?"

She sat down next to Chloe.

"Nothing, I was just checking the news."

"How bad?"

"They're not saying much, but it looks like hundreds of people are dead, and the tornado made a beeline for Blackwell. It's gone."

Max lay down next to Chloe before saying anything.

"Have you ever heard of survivor's guilt?"

"Yeah, it's when people live through shit like tornadoes and feel bad about it. My shrink even talked about it after dad died."

"Did you ever feel that way about what happened to William?"

"Maybe for a while. Mom sure did."

"How did you get past it?"

"I don't think I really did. I think it just changed into feeling pissed off, mostly."

"I don't think that's going to work for me."

"Don't knock it till you try it. Kidding."

"How are you doing with all this, Chloe?"

"It sucks balls, but it would suck a lot more without you here."

"Samesies."

"We can't go down that road of blaming ourselves, Max. Not any more than we have to."

"You're right. That road is... dark and full of terrors."

Chloe was glad to hear Max still making her geeky references. At once, their phones began chirping and vibrating insistently, and the girls retrieved them. Max reported her findings first.

"I guess service is back in Arcadia Bay. Kate's okay, and so is David. I don't have anything from anyone else, though."

"Just David over here. He wants me to call him."

She dialed and waited for him to answer.

"Hey David."  
"Yeah, we're at a hotel in Portland."  
"I know. I'm, uh, I'm glad you're okay too."  
"Mom? No! That's terrible. I was afraid something happened to her. I think I knew but didn't want to admit it. I'm sorry. I know she was your wife, too."  
"Oh, come on, you're the last person anyone could accuse of not doing enough to protect us. Can you hear yourself right now?"

Max shook her head slightly.

"I just mean you did everything you could, okay?"  
"I don't know when we'll be back."  
"Of course we'll be back for the funeral. Probably for a lot of funerals."

She looked over to Max to make sure she agreed, and Max nodded.

"Hey, David? I know there's a lot going on, but what happened with Jefferson? Did you nail his ass to the fuckin' wall?"  
"You don't know how glad I am to hear you say that. Thanks for busting him."  
"Yeah, just text me if you need anything."  
"Bye."

Chloe put her phone away and got off the bed.

"Hey, I think you had the right idea. I'm gonna hit the shower. I'm loving the towel, but if you want some clothes I'm sure you can find something in the bag."

"Chloe, are you okay?"

"My mom's dead and I just lied to my stepdad about already knowing. So I'm aces."

She reconsidered her tone and climbed over the bed on her knees to kiss Max.

"Really, I'll be okay. We've been through a lot. It's gonna suck for a while. I know you care and you're here for me and all that shit. I promise."

"Okay, so talk to me now."

Chloe put her legs across Max's lap, lying so her head was pointed toward the other side of the bed. 

"You really want to know what I'm thinking? All right."

It took a moment for her to find her words.

"The thing is, Max, I keep losing people. My dad, you, Rachel, my mom. You're all I have left. What if death and loss are my destiny? I feel like it'll never be over. It's like the universe just wants to shit on me, and here you are in the splash zone."

"Even if that was your destiny, I have to believe we've changed it. We're safe now. This isn't the middle of the tragic story of Chloe Price. It's the beginning of our story."

"You don't get it. Nobody who left me wanted to leave, they were just taken. Like, a random bullet could come flying through our window right now and... and that would be it. I don't even know what I'd do in that situation. There'd be nothing left to keep fighting for, I'd just..."

Max got her legs out from under Chloe's and shifted to lie next to her, holding her.

"There's been way too much pain in your life, Chloe. You've lost more in such a short time than anyone ever should. I know it looks like a pattern, and I'd want to blame fate too, but your destiny isn't to be surrounded by death! I know it isn't. You've risen above every horrible thing that's happened."

She wiped a tear from Chloe's eye.

"I don't know how I can convince you, but please, Chloe, I need you here with me, not living in the worst possible future you can think of. Please, don't do this to yourself. Let yourself find just a little bit of happiness again."

Chloe turned to look at Max. It was hard not to feel hopeful looking at her freckled face and blue eyes.

"I'm with you, Max, and that does make me happy. I just hope you're right."

"I know I am."

"I guess if there's anyone I can trust about fate, it's the girl who kicked it in the nuts and told it to fuck off, right?"

"Yes, that's it exactly. You have nothing to worry about. Your only concern is not hogging the covers."

"That and your icicle feet."

"They'd be toasty warm if they had a blanket over them."

"I'll try, but all bets are off if I have the dream where I'm Xena: Warrior Princess."

Max sighed and held her closer.

"I guess as long as you don't elbow me in the face, I can always stay close for warmth. There are worse ways to spend the night."

"Hey, maybe I'll even think you're Gabrielle."

"Lucky me. Hmm. I see the cosplay possibilities."

"I knew I should have packed more leather."

"Yes, it would be tough to put together in time for trick-or-treating."

"There's always next year. Hey, before you fall asleep on me, I do need to clean up. It's hard to be chill when you feel like Pig-Pen's armpit."

"Especially when you'd like to stop thinking about how you got that way. Go ahead."

Chloe stood and bent down for another kiss before heading into the bathroom.

Max lay for a moment, thinking about how weird it was to have both of them safe in a hotel room. She had finally saved Chloe. She also knew now that if she needed to, she could do it again. They would never face a challenge greater than what they had already overcome, or at least she hoped not. 

She heard the water start and got up and went over to the bag to find something to sleep in. She realized she didn't really want to wear her two-day, pre-shower underwear or Chloe's underwear, and she settled on a T-shirt that was long enough on her for some modesty. They would definitely be shopping tomorrow.

She got back into bed and nestled under the covers to wait for Chloe. 

She thought of Chloe showering on the other side of the door and wondered if Chloe had pictured Max when she was in there. Probably not. Max had never felt desired before. Sure, there was Warren, but he probably just liked her because she was a girl he could talk to about Stargate. Totally different from Chloe thinking about Max in the shower after kissing her.

Chloe had said they should do whatever felt right. But what would feel right to Chloe? Should she ask? What did Max even want her to say? How do people do this? She grabbed a pillow and put it over face in exasperation. 

Chloe had heard Max brushing her teeth before, so she wasn't surprised to find the brush already wet. It reminded her of the time before mom had bought one just for Max.

What would mom say if she knew Chloe and Max were being more than friends? She would be happy, wouldn't she? Anything that brought them closer to being the perfect family would make mom happy, and mom loved Max. And it had taken less than a week with Max for Chloe to stop calling David "step-douche." Mom would be elated.

She spat her toothpaste into the sink and spoke under the sound of the faucet.

"I'm sorry, mom."

She reached to put away the brush and noticed dirt remaining under her fingernails. Dirt from the junkyard that she hadn't been able to get out. Right then, she hated that dirt more than anything. She took her toothbrush and scrubbed furiously until every speck was gone, then threw the brush at the trash, missing the bin completely. Son of a bitch.

She threw it away properly and noticed something else in there. A clear plastic wrapper and a small, dirty strip of plastic, twisted and broken on one end. She looked at the comb missing a tooth on the counter.

"Clever girl."

She shut off the faucet and undressed, piling her dirty clothes next to Max's. Picturing Max MacGyvering her manicure made Chloe smile and helped her calm down.

She turned on the shower and stepped in. Max, her dragon. That kiss had been incredible. It felt so natural now, it seemed crazy that it had surprised her.

 _"Your power is changing everything, Max. Especially you. I can already tell. You're not so chickenshit anymore."_  
_"Thanks, girlfriend."_  
" _You know what I mean. You're becoming like this force of nature."_

Her power had let Max feel free to take chances, but Chloe was certain that now, Max would be different with or without her power.

She kind of wanted to go out there and kiss her everywhere.

She finished rinsing and turned the water off, partially toweling off before stepping out. She wrapped the towel around herself and opened the door. The only light now came from the lamps on their nightstands. Max was lying where she had been before but under the blanket, on her back with her head turned toward Chloe. Chloe returned Max's half-smile and walked over to the blue duffel bag.

She chose a T-shirt and underwear to wear and, with her back to Max, draped the towel on a nearby chair. She was pretty sure she still felt Max's eyes on her as she dressed and turned around. The look on Max' face was one of contentment and admiration. It gave Chloe butterflies.

She walked back around to her side of the bed and slid under the covers. She rested her elbow on her pillow and her head on her hand to better face Max, who then mirrored the position. Max spoke first.

"So when you dared me to kiss you..."

"Double-dared. Though I was prepared to make it a double-dog dare."

"Right. Wait, only a double-dog dare?"

"Oh, Max, I would never subject you to a triple-dare or triple-dog dare."

"Good thing I caved, then."

"You're telling me. But you were saying?"

"Ah, yes, when you _double-dared_ me to kiss you. You weren't just making a point about taking chances, were you?"

"Actually, I don't know. I thought I was. If I just wanted to get to first base, I don't think I'd trick you by saying it was about something else."

"Right, no, of course not. I was just thinking about it, that's all."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Mhmm."

"How many times did I double-dare you before you did it?"

"Just one."

"And how many times did you do it?"

"Also just one. I think doing it more would have been a little bit like tricking you, too."

"I guess. I'm glad you're the one with the power. You might think it's been one hot mess after another, but you've always used it wisely. Except that time I dragged you into junkyard target practice."

"It turned out okay though."

"Not really. You started bleeding and passed out."

"The passing out wasn't from using my power. That only came from the visions. Hopefully they're over now that the tornado is."

"I sure hope so. But what about the bleeding?"

"I don't like it any more than you do Chloe, we've just always had bigger problems."

"I get that. I tried to figure out why it keeps happening, and the best answer I could find was your blood pressure could be going through the roof when you rewind."

"It could be. It gets pretty intense."

"But that means it could be doing something to your heart."

"Maybe. Please, Chloe. We're not going to solve everything tonight. If it's important to you, I'll get a physical soon, though. They'll listen to my heart, look up my nose with the little thingie, the works."

"Okay. I don't mean to be such a bummer. I mean, here we are on our first night together since we... Did you ever start a sentence not really realizing the second half would be awkward?"

"Dude, most of my sentences _start_ awkward. But I guess it is our first night. Was there something special you wanted to do?"

"Oh, you know. I figured we'd stay up and watch Letterman."

"Oh, okay."

"I'm kidding."

"You are? I never took you for a Jay Leno girl."

"I feel like you might have an unfair advantage when it comes to snappy comebacks."

"Hey, I haven't cheated."

"I know, I'm just messing with you."

"I've missed it."

"Your long wait is over. All the shit-talking you can handle, right here."

_"Look, the worst thing you can do is treat me like a baby. I still want to laugh and talk shit with my best friend."_

Chloe saw the happiness in Max's eyes dim.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Nothing, it's just how you remind me so much of the other Chloe. In the timeline when William lived and you got hurt. Even after two years of being paralyzed, you were still you."

"Damn. I guess I stay totally boss long enough to see you again in any reality. Was Rachel still...?"

"Yes, but you never met her."

"I guess that would be too much to hope for. But while you were there, you saw my dad?"

"Yes."

"Can you tell me about him? Was he happy, despite everything?"

"You were always his baby girl, Chloe. I don't think he could ever be happy if you weren't. But he was joking with me and doing his silly voices, like always. I think he didn't want me to be sad. He was working on paying their bills."

"I can't imagine keeping me alive was cheap."

"It wasn't. You should have seen the room he made for you in the garage. You had a totally rad entertainment system and all this medical equipment, even a computer you could control with your mouth. You called your morphine injector 'total Star Trek shit.'"

Chloe laughed.

"Was that before or after I'd taken a hit?"

"Before. After, you wanted to look at old photos from when we were kids. Then you started talking about how you were slowly dying and you... wanted our time together to be your last."

"I'm still sorry I had to ask you to do that, Max. You're a good friend, and... thank you for trying to save my dad. Can I ask how you did it?"

"You remember me saying I could travel through time using a photo?"

"It's not something you forget."

"Your mom gave it to me. She said it was the last one she had of you when you were happy. Your dad took it of us when we were making breakfast the morning he... died."

"I remember. Mom had it this whole time? I thought we lost it or he brought it with him and it got ruined in the crash or something."

"No, she never had it."

"But she gave it to you? Oh, it's a time travel thing."

"Exactly, but I still have to get to that part. So I was looking at the photo in my dorm-" 

"When?"

"When you dropped me off after we broke into Frank's RV."

"When did you get back from your trip?"

"The next morning. After we started on our evidence board."

"That explains you acting high."

"I had just helped you kill yourself, and then you were alive, right in front of me. You have no-"

"I know. I'm sorry, I didn't mean that to sound like I was judging you. So you were looking at the photo, I'd just raged at you about my fucked-up life, and you wanted to change the past?"

"No. I mean yes, I just didn't know I could. I wasn't trying to. I was looking at it and remembering how happy we were and feeling sad about how everything had changed, and then I actually... I heard us talking that morning. You, me and William. I freaked out and dropped it, but then I listened again, and it was like... I don't know, it was like pulling on a thread to the past in just the right way, coaxing it, and then it grabbed me and pulled me, and I was there."

"You were with me and my dad?"

"I was 18-year-old me in my 13-year-old body. You knew right away something was wrong."

"I remember. That's why you were being so fucking strange. Holy shit, that's why you said all that stuff about trying to make things different and never abandoning me! I thought you were talking about moving away."

"I didn't have much time. I wish I could have said it better."

They shifted to lie on their backs, and Chloe put her arm around Max.

"I never gave up on you coming back, even when I told myself I did. Maybe you said it better than you think."

"I can't believe I actually thought I was coming back for Blackwell and... him. They really did have an amazing photography program, but I think if I let myself think I was coming back for you, and you weren't here or you didn't want to see me..."

"I get it. We're together now, and that's what matters. Tell me more about us making pancakes."

"Right. Joyce called but he couldn't find his keys, and then he found them before I could stop him. I used my rewind and tried hiding them better, but he had that beeper thing. So I threw them out the window."

Chloe laughed.

"I know this is serious, Max, but honestly it's a little hilarious to picture you at 13 being a little shit and tossing his keys."

Max smiled.

"I guess so. What would you have done if you'd caught me?"

"Played along, of course. C'mon, it's not like I could bust you. So what then?"

"He took the bus. I was so excited. He was going to be alive, you were going to be okay, everything was going to be better. I thought I had actually fixed things. Then I felt the thread pulling me back to the present, and I was at Blackwell. Only I was sitting outside with the Vortex Club."

"You're kidding. That should have been a red flag."

"No shit it was! Somehow you having the accident made me a totally different person. Everything was fucked up, the other me had even sent these bitchy text messages, but I knew I could change my life as long as you and your dad were okay. And he was! Then he called for you, and I saw what I'd done to you."

Chloe held Max a little tighter.

"Max, I can't even imagine what that was like for you. I wouldn't blame you if you ran away screaming."

"I had to be there for you."

"I know what kind of friend you are, Max, I just wouldn't have blamed you."

"We went down to the beach before sunset. The dead whales were still there. The snow, the birds, all of it happened anyway."

"So you'd have had to find a way to save a quadriplegic on life support and convince her parents a tornado was coming. That's a pretty big ask, even for you. Not that I doubt you."

"Maybe I'd have stolen David's bus and knocked them out with a bat. Dragging them and your equipment on board might have been tough."

"Whoa, David's bus?"

"He was a bus driver for Blackwell instead of their head security guard."

"I guess we know he has my mom to thank for his career trajectory."

"They say behind every great man is a great woman."

"And how right they are. So there we are, you and me on our romantic sunset stroll and roll."

"We talked about the crash. William gave you a car for your 16h birthday. Someone in an SUV cut you off, and it was the last thing you felt in your body. You only knew we were getting cold because you felt it on your nose. We went back to your room and watched Blade Runner until I fell asleep."

"Good choice. I hope it was the director's cut."

"The final cut. Sorry."

"Huh. I guess I never benefited from the wise tutelage of Stephanie Gingrich."

"Who's that?"

"Someone from Blackwell. She graduated last year and went off to nerd school. You would have gotten along great."

"No doubt. Maybe I'll still get to meet her someday."

"That would rule. So you and me the next morning, we were looking at photos and you found the pancake one?"

"Yes, but I didn't know right away if it would work. I assumed it would, but you were for real dead. Worse than that, you wanted to be."

"So when you did what I asked, you didn't even know if you'd be able to bring me back. That's pretty intense."

"Try pants-shitting terrifying, I just didn't wait around to think about it. I looked at the photo, and I went back to that morning and I... I let William find his keys, and I burned the photo so I could never make that mistake again. That's why you never found it. I'm sorry. I know it was important to you and Joyce."

"Hey, it's okay. You were protecting me. I have other photos. Honestly, knowing what happened to it makes me feel a whole lot better. Thank you for bringing him back, at least for a while. Thank you for everything."

Max's only response was to relax a little deeper into the bed and a little closer to Chloe.

"Max, I... I need you to promise me something."

"Anything."

"If you ever find a photo that would let you save Rachel..."

Max's eyelids, which had been growing heavy, opened. Of course she would save Rachel if she could, but even if she found a way - and that's a big if - using her power that way was dangerous. Too dangerous. But she'd do it again to save Chloe, wouldn't she? What gave her the right to say Rachel wasn't worth it?

Chloe finished her sentence.

"...don't."

Max turned to look at her while Chloe spoke.

"You can't. I appreciate what you tried to do for me, and you're like, way heroic, but you just can't. You could end up in a timeline where you're dead or the photo you used is destroyed and you can't get back. Any horrible, fucked-up disaster could happen, and knowing us it probably would. Please promise me."

"I promise, Chloe. I'm not planning on going through any photos ever again. Someday soon I'll tell you about the other times I had to do it. I know how dangerous it is. Besides, we're a team. I'd never make a decision like that without you."

"Thanks, Max. You really are the best time-traveling accomplice a girl like me could ask for."

"We were always going to be accomplices. Or at the very least cohorts."

Max turned off the lamp on her nightstand, and Chloe did the same with hers. Max switched hers back on and walked to the door of their room, then got back into bed and switched off her light once more.

"Sorry, just checking the deadbolt. We're okay."

"Yes, we are."

"...Chloe? You'd tell me if this wasn't real, right?"

"Of course not. What kind of illusion would that be?"

"A shitty one, I guess. I just need to know I'm not having some new kind of vision or dosed with some psychedelic drug or, I don't know, dead or something."

Chloe kissed her and whispered.

"This is real. We're really here, and all that shit that's scaring you is over, I swear to you. It's just you and me and this awesomely ridiculous room."

She stroked Max's hair as she continued, and Max closed her eyes.

"We're far away from Arcadia Bay. There are no more mysteries to solve, no more battles to be won, no conspiracies to unravel, no crisis to deal with. No one needs you to be the time master. The biggest problem in front of you is going to be what to have for breakfast in the morning. You don't even have to worry about class; you can sleep in as long as you want. I'll stay right here, where we're warm and safe. I love you, Max."

Realizing Max was either asleep or at least halfway there, she kissed her forehead goodnight and held her close.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it.
> 
> Max, Chloe and Rachel came into my life at a time that I really needed them. They changed me, and I will always be grateful to them and their creators. Writing this has been therapeutic.
> 
> Arcadia Bay is based on Garibaldi, Oregon, in Tillamook County. I created the fictitious Melbourne County so as to not be representing the good people of the actual Tillamook County Sheriff's Office. 
> 
> I loosely based the hotel on the Crystal Hotel, in Portland. I've never been there; I just found it by researching. It looks totally sweet.
> 
> You may have already googled it, but the title comes from the Hisarna iron-making process. I searched for many "processes" to use for a metaphor and as a twist on the Daguerreian process, and this was the best fit. It even involves the use of a cyclone furnace.
> 
> I want to thank hakhno for being an excellent beta tester, as he put it. :) His feedback and notes have been outstanding.
> 
> Speaking of feedback and notes I've enabled anonymous comments on Archive of our Own, since making an account there is a little more involved than just signing up, but I'll have to approve comments before they are posted.


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